Every Audi TT is noted for its clear lines, unmistakable dynamism and the driving characteristics of a sports car. Audi now presents the TT in its most purist form: the clubsport quattro study. The Audi TT clubsport quattro study reduces …
Volkswagen of America has launched its newest addition to their 2007 line up, the 2007 Eos Base, with a window price starting at $28,110. Eos has been dubbed as the world’s first hardtop convertible with a sunroof. With its hardtop convertible built by Webasto, rest assured that the wear and tear issues won’t be a problem anymore. It also features a sunroof, an interestingly new add-on to hardtop convertibles.
Its engine boasts of a 2.0L turbocharged, 4 cylinders with 16 valves and 500hp and drivers could also rev it up to 5100. It has a 6 speed manual transmission and a gallon of gasoline could take you 23 miles in the city and 32 miles highway. Environmentalist drivers would be happy to know that Eos got a 67 green rating, 4 points higher than other compact cars.
Still, other standard features apply such as 8 speakers, AM/FM radio, and a CD player. Ipod enthusiasts will be more than anticipated as Eos incorporated the fashion there is in the MP3 world. Drivers have the option to buy an iPod adapter for their Eos.
Eos flashes a luxurious and sporty style fitting both the elite and adventurous people. Performance plus style continue to live on.
It’s almost a month since I’ve posted here. I’ve taken the opportunity to have some much-needed break from writing.
Anyway, watch out for more Volkswagen news and features as the brand have been bullish in the marlet lately.
Til next post.
You are legally required to have car insurance, but you are not required to pay astronomical prices for it. If you are looking for some ways in which you can save on then look no further.
When you first took out your car insurance policy you might have decided to go for low deductibles. That might have seemed like a good idea to you at the time, but you might not have known that by choosing higher deductibles you can actually save money on your car insurance premiums. Change your deductible to the highest you can possibly afford and your insurance premiums will go down.
Make sure that you keep an amount of money saved that is equal to or higher than your deductible so that you will be assured the money is available if you ever need it. If you own an older car that isn’t worth very much then you can save money by dropping your collision and comprehensive coverages.
Many insurance companies offer discounts for various things. Low mileage discounts are one example. If you put fewer than a specific amount of mileage you your car each year then your insurance company may offer you a discount, as long as you can prove the amount of mileage put on the car each year. You can also usually get discounts for having safety features such as anti-lock brakes, airbags, and alarms.
Some other discounts that may be available to you include having more than one car insured with the same insurance company, having more than one type of policy with the same insurance company (such as your car and your home), not having been in an accident for the past three years, not having gotten any tickets, being 50 or more years of age, and taking driver training and/or driver safety classes.
What could make a bad car deal worse? A wreck that leaves you owing thousands on a car you don’t own anymore.
If you did everything wrong while acquiring your last vehicle, you may still be able to do at least one thing right. And that’s buying so-called “gap insurance.”
Gap insurance kicks in when the amount your insurer would pay for your totaled or stolen car falls short of what you still owe on the loan or lease.
Chances are good you need gap insurance if:
You purchased a new car and didn’t have a down payment of at least 20%.
You’re leasing a car.
You’re financing for more than four years.
You rolled debt from your last car into your current auto loan.
I outlined why these car-buying practices are usually bad ideas in “The real reason you’re broke.” They are, unfortunately, fairly common scenarios that typically leave people “upside down,” or owing more on their cars than the vehicles are worth.
Yet gap insurance remains a relatively unknown product, said Patrick Olsen, managing editor of Cars.com.
“As soon as you drive off the lot, depreciation kicks in,” Olsen said. “I don’t think people are aware of the danger they could be in.”
If you don’t make a 20% down payment, for example, you’ll be upside-down on the car from the minute you drive off the lot, and you’ll typically stay that way for two to three years, depending on the length of your loan. If you get in an accident or the car is stolen during that time, you may be in trouble.
Video: Should you buy or lease?
“The insurance company will pay you what the vehicle is (currently) worth, and that’s not necessary the same as what you owe,” said Mike Meredith, financial editor for MSN Autos. “It could be a lot less.”
You could be pushed over the edge
Here’s an example. You buy or lease a car for around $25,000. Several months down the road, it’s totaled, but your insurance check covers only the car’s current value, which is about $20,000. Not only do you have to find new wheels, but you’re on the hook to the finance or lease company for that $5,000 gap. It’s not uncommon for cars to lose two-thirds of their value in just three years. (See MSN Autos’ list of vehicles that hold their value best.)
If you rolled debt from your old loan into your new one, that amount you owe could be even larger. One out of four vehicles that are financed includes debt rolled over from a previous vehicle, according to vehicle research site Edmunds.com, and the average amount of so-called “negative equity” is more than $4,000.
If your finances are already shaky, the gap between what you owe and what you’re paid could be enough to push you right over the edge.
“It could be the difference between staying afloat and having to declare bankruptcy,” said Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com and co-author of the book “Strategies for Smart Car Buyers.” At a minimum, you could be saddled with expensive and unwelcome debt.
If you’re not sure where you stand, you can use the Kelley Blue Book tool on MSN Autos to see how much your car is really worth and compare that to what you owe. Insurers typically pay an amount somewhere between the car’s trade-in value and what you’d get in a private sale.
Not to worry
Now, there are two scenarios where underwater drivers don’t have to worry about gap insurance:
If it’s already included in your lease. In some states, including New York, leases by law must include gap coverage, Olsen said.
If your auto policy is written to cover the gap. This isn’t the norm, but some auto policies promise to pay off a loan regardless of what the car’s worth. You can try reading your policy to see if you’re covered for any gaps, or simply call your insurer and ask.
If you don’t have coverage already, the solution fortunately doesn’t have to be that expensive. A premium of a few hundred dollars should cover you for the life of the loan or lease. You typically can buy the coverage:
From the dealershipor auto finance company. It’s probably the most expensive choice, especially if you roll the cost into your monthly note. You’ll be paying interest on it, plus paying for coverage even after you’re no longer upside-down on your loan.
From your current auto insurer. It’s usually the best choice, if your insurer offers the coverage. Farmers Insurance, for example, offers gap coverage at a flat rate of $25 every six months to Washington drivers. You can drop it once you’re sure you’re in the black.
From another insurance carrier. You can look for gap insurance providers; make sure they have top marks from one of the rating services such as A.M. Best, Standard & Poor’s or TheStreet.com Ratings (formerly Weiss Ratings).
The best time to shop for coverage is before you even set foot on the dealer’s lot, Reed said. He advises calling your insurer to get a quote for coverage as soon as you decide what car you’re going to buy. But all isn’t lost if you fail to plan that far ahead.
“It’ll be cheaper through your agent than through a dealership,” Reed said, “but you can always buy it (at the dealership) and cancel it later” once you’ve got coverage with your insurer.
Video: Should you buy or lease?
If you’re a savvy enough negotiator, you may be able to get the dealership to lower its premium, Meredith said, particularly if you already know what coverage would cost through your insurer.Some dealerships and insurers require you to get the coverage when you buy the car, but others let you add it later. If you don’t have gap coverage and need it, it’s worth the effort to search for a company that will sell it to you.
Like most insurance, it’s something you may never need, Meredith said, but “it’s a really good thing to have if you need it.
Tag: auto insurance, car insurance, aa, aarp, admiral, american, antique car, arizona, home insurance, gap, agency
The Wolfsburg edition of the Volkswagen Passat is now available at dealers, Volkswagen of America announced March 20.
VW would be selling only 6000 of the special edition Passat.
The Passat features a 2.0L, 200 hp turbo-charged engine with a standard six-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission.
The wolfsburg edition hosts a plethora of safety features, which includes six standard airbags, plus an optional two rear side airbags. It also has a four-wheel Antilock Braking System (ABS) with four-wheel disc brakes.
Luxury amenities include a 17-inch alloy wheels, a four-spoke leather wrapped multi-function steering wheel, letaher wrapped gearshift knob and boot, 12-way full power adjustable driver’s seat, six-disc in dash CD changer with MP3 capability, heated front seats, power sunroof, fog lights, heated windshiled washer nozzles and Sirius satellite radio.
200,000 visitors and 50,000 vehicles anticipated Brand meet for Audi and VW fans The 26th Worthersee Tour from 16 to 20 May 2007 will celebrate two firsts this year. AUDI AG will be represented for the first time as a manufacturer at the …
The automotive world is seeing some dramatic changes thanks to the opening up of markets in China and India and the development of plants producing models that can retail for much less than ten thousand dollars in North America. The lower end of the auto market is booming and cheaper priced cars will be soon heading to America to swell the ranks of vehicles selling for bottom dollar. Volkswagen will be doing its part to compete against all that the world has to offer, but not with models currently being built by the German automaker. However, Skoda, a car company owned by the Volkswagen Group is likely to start selling some of their cars in the U.S. once competition heats up. Read on and we’ll take a look at how Skoda may transform the basic Volkswagen offering for the lucrative, but competitive American market.
Ask the average American consumer if they ever heard of Skoda and more than ninety percent are likely to give you a “no†answer. Conversely, if you asked these same consumers if they ever heard of Volkswagen, the name recognition would be virtually one hundred percent. Such is the popularity of the car company that brought the Beetle and Rabbit to the American market.
Skoda is much less known globally, although they have been producing vehicles for more than one century. Indeed, the once Czech government run car company had a small following, mostly in the communist states of eastern Europe. During the early 1990s, the Czech government decided to sell its interest in Skoda and Volkswagen became the happy owner. Today, Skoda cars are made in five countries and sold in 21. New plants in Russia and China are being developed to join plants already operating in eastern Europe and India.
So, why would VW turn to Skoda in order to remain competitive in North America? For two reasons:
Even if VW sends their lowest price car to the American market, the Polo, it will still be priced at around $12,000 which will be several thousand dollars more expensive than the cars to be imported from Chinese automakers.
Already the Skoda is one of the best priced brands in the world. Instead of pouring millions of dollars into a new VW model and tapping a factory that produces more expensive vehicles, a base Skoda model will likely anchor the Volkswagen line up within the next five years. Perhaps the Roomster, Skoda’s tiny four passenger automobile will be the car that helps VW stay strong in the US. Powered by a tiny 3 cylinder 1.2L engine, the Roomster is uniquely designed and easier to tell apart from other cars in its class and the Roomster is likely to be popular in China once production begins late next year.
And what is the biggest advantage of the Skoda Roomster? It will retail for less than ten thousand dollars once imported versions of this car arrive from Chinese factories to American soil. Now for the remaining dilemma: will the car be rebadged as a VW or will America finally learn what Skoda is all about? Stay tuned!
Insurance Policy covers risk of any unusual damage or loss in respect of the goods insured. All expensive capital goods should be insured. Your car is one such item. When insured, the Insurance Company takes on certain liabilities and will compensate you monetarily, in respect of unusual damage arising from an accident, theft, fire etc., to your car, during a specified time period, in return for a certain charge, known as the insurance premium.
The Insurance Policy does not cover damages on account of usual wear and tear in the vehicle. There are generally two schemes available for insurance of your car, the comprehensive and the third party insurance.
In order to register your car and apply for license plates, you must provide proof of insurance. This guarantees that your vehicle is covered in the event of an accident. You can select from many levels of auto insurance to suit your personal requirements, from basic coverage that only covers the other vehicle in an accident, up to full coverage, covering any vehicle involved and even providing medical benefits when necessary. Always discuss your coverage in depth with your agent.
Be careful not to over insure your vehicle. If you drive an older vehicle that has lost most of its resale value, opting for basic coverage, that only covers the other vehicle in an accident, can save you hundreds of dollars each year. Under insuring can be just as expensive. Be aware of the “blue book” value of your vehicle when your shopping for insurance.
While searching out some information about all the new models I found this Volkswagen Forum which had plenty of information on the current models and some of the older ones.
My search for the ultimate car involves the quest for Formula One handling and the budget of a low end, second hand karting unit. So the Audi and BMers went out the window pretty fast. Didn’t even visit the dealer lots.
So it was time to look at the germans. For information about the Volkswagen Passat the article on the Volkswagen forum helped me find out about the new 2007 wagon. While the car seems to fit the bill its that price tag that is still killing my purchase plan. No matter what financing deal they throw my way it does not work out. I might as well have been looking for my Paris Dakar ready for action Touareg model. Its was working out to the same price but I was trying to get a lower price just because the Touareg is so ugly. Plus you can barely pronounce the name.
It does not matter whats under the hood in all situations, sometimes you have to look at the outside when you’re buying a car and the Volkswagen Touareg really needs some more work in that department. But than again I’m not some german Volks/Porsche car designer living the good life in the Black Forest. Yes I think its time to find an old Volks Fox wagen, that might fit in the budget.Â
What a difference a year makes. Last year we baked in nearly record temperatures at Yarrowsport in Providence, RI while attending the PRIMER. This year it was cold, overcast and windy. Fortunately, the less than optimal weather conditions …
The automotive world is seeing some dramatic changes thanks to the opening up of markets in China and India and the development of plants producing models that can retail for much less than ten thousand dollars in North America. The lower end of the auto market is booming and cheaper priced cars will be soon heading to America to swell the ranks of vehicles selling for bottom dollar. Volkswagen will be doing its part to compete against all that the world has to offer, but not with models currently being built by the German automaker. However, Skoda, a car company owned by the Volkswagen Group is likely to start selling some of their cars in the U.S. once competition heats up. Read on and we’ll take a look at how Skoda may transform the basic Volkswagen offering for the lucrative, but competitive American market.
Ask the average American consumer if they ever heard of Skoda and more than ninety percent are likely to give you a “no†answer. Conversely, if you asked these same consumers if they ever heard of Volkswagen, the name recognition would be virtually one hundred percent. Such is the popularity of the car company that brought the Beetle and Rabbit to the American market.
Skoda is much less known globally, although they have been producing vehicles for more than one century. Indeed, the once Czech government run car company had a small following, mostly in the communist states of eastern Europe. During the early 1990s, the Czech government decided to sell its interest in Skoda and Volkswagen became the happy owner. Today, Skoda cars are made in five countries and sold in 21. New plants in Russia and China are being developed to join plants already operating in eastern Europe and India.
So, why would VW turn to Skoda in order to remain competitive in North America? For two reasons:
Even if VW sends their lowest price car to the American market, the Polo, it will still be priced at around $12,000 which will be several thousand dollars more expensive than the cars to be imported from Chinese automakers.
Already the Skoda is one of the best priced brands in the world. Instead of pouring millions of dollars into a new VW model and tapping a factory that produces more expensive vehicles, a base Skoda model will likely anchor the Volkswagen line up within the next five years. Perhaps the Roomster, Skoda’s tiny four passenger automobile will be the car that helps VW stay strong in the US. Powered by a tiny 3 cylinder 1.2L engine, the Roomster is uniquely designed and easier to tell apart from other cars in its class and the Roomster is likely to be popular in China once production begins late next year.
And what is the biggest advantage of the Skoda Roomster? It will retail for less than ten thousand dollars once imported versions of this car arrive from Chinese factories to American soil. Now for the remaining dilemma: will the car be rebadged as a VW or will America finally learn what Skoda is all about? Stay tuned!